Nicolas Anelka
Encyclopedia
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea
. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team
. Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti
has described him as a quick player with good aerial ability, technique, shooting, and movement off the ball.
Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain, but soon moved to Arsenal
. He became a first team regular and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award
the following season. Real Madrid
signed him for £22.3 million in 1999, a record fee at the time, but he did not settle in well and returned to Paris Saint-Germain in a £20 million deal. Despite regular first team football in Paris, Anelka set his eyes upon the Premier League once more; he went on loan to Liverpool
in January 2002 but joined Manchester City
for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03 season.
After three seasons in Manchester, he moved to Fenerbahçe for two seasons before returning to England to join Bolton Wanderers
– in deals worth £7 million and £8 million, respectively. He transferred to Chelsea from Bolton for a reported £15 million in January 2008. During his transfers over the years, he has built an aggregate transfer cost of just under £
90 million. He is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs.
Anelka has played many times at international level and won his first international honours with France
at Euro 2000, and won the Confederations Cup
the following year. His failure to settle at club level limited his international appearances, but he returned to the national team for the Euro 2008 competition.
On 19 June 2010, Anelka was excluded by the French Football Federation
from the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa for "comments directed against the national coach, Raymond Domenech
, unacceptable to the FFF, French football, and the principles they uphold." Two months later, having failing to turn up to his disciplinary hearing, he was banned for France's next eighteen games by the FFF, effectively ending his international career, despite an outcry from the football world who found it unfair and a strike from French players.
for a fee of £500,000 under newly appointed manager Arsène Wenger
. Anelka scored his first goal for Arsenal against Manchester United
in a 3–2 home win. His first team opportunities were limited in the 1996–97 season, but in the 1997–98 season, he broke into the first team, after a long-term injury to striker Ian Wright
. Anelka was a key player in Arsenal's "Double
" win, of both the Premier League championship and the FA Cup
trophy that season. Anelka scored the second goal in Arsenal's 2–0 win over Newcastle United
in that season's FA Cup final.
A player with exceptional pace, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award
in the 1998–99 season, but Arsenal failed to defend their Premier League title and made little progress in the UEFA Champions League
, while Anelka wanted a better salary. Fans turned on the striker amid transfer speculation and a perceived lack of enthusiasm, giving him the nickname "Le Sulk." In all he made 72 first team appearances and 17 appearances as a sub for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals.
in the summer of 1999 for £22.3 million. Anelka began brightly, arriving as a record signing to the Madrid side. He had initial success, but soon fell out of favour with fans, fellow players, and new coach Vicente del Bosque
, at one point receiving a 45-day suspension for refusing to train. Despite eventually returning to favour and figuring in the successful capture of the 1999-00 Champions League campaign (he scored vital goals in both legs of the semi-finals against Bayern Munich and started in the final), he was surplus to the requirements to the club.
on a short term loan deal until the end of the season. He contributed to Liverpool's late push to come second in the league, scoring goals against Everton
,
Fulham
, Blackburn Rovers
, Ipswich Town
, and in the FA Cup against Birmingham City
, but manager Gérard Houllier
decided not to offer him a permanent deal after the end of the season in favour of signing his future Bolton teammate, El Hadji Diouf
.
on 24 May 2002, and the £13 million fee paid by manager Kevin Keegan
was then a club record. In his first season at City he would end up top scorer at Maine Road
with 14 goals including a goal in the last ever Manchester Derby
at Maine Road, against former club Arsenal and a last minute winner at Anfield
after scoring a penalty just moments earlier. In his second season at City he finished top scorer again in the clubs first season at the City of Manchester Stadium
with 25 goals. Anelka started the 2004/05 campaign in clinical form again scoring the winner in Jose Mourinho
's first ever defeat as Chelsea manager. In January 2005 Anelka decided to move on to Fenerbahçe.
signed Anelka on a four-year deal for a club record of £8 million. Anelka made his debut for Bolton against Watford
on 9 September 2006. He finished the 2006–07 season as Bolton's top scorer with 11 goals.
During January 2007, Anelka stated that he would be willing to leave Bolton for a return to former club Arsenal
. However, Anelka pledged his future to Bolton in July 2007, following talks with manager Sammy Lee
. Anelka later said he would reluctantly consider leaving the club if Bolton's poor start to the 2007–08 season continued, but later signed a new four-year contract until 2011 on 30 August.
for £15 million. Anelka made his début against Tottenham Hotspur
on 12 January 2008, and scored his first goal two weeks later in the FA Cup
against Wigan Athletic
. He scored his first league goal on 2 February against Portsmouth
, but failed to score again for Chelsea during the 2007–08 season.
In the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
, Anelka's seventh and decisive penalty was saved by Edwin van der Sar
, ultimately resulting in Manchester United
winning the Champions League
. Anelka later blamed manager Avram Grant for his penalty miss, claiming he was not given enough time on the pitch, neither was he given enough time to properly warm up before coming on as a late substitute. On 3 August 2008, Anelka scored four goals in a 5–0 friendly win against AC Milan
.
With Didier Drogba
injured at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Anelka made a very impressive start to the campaign. He scored 25 times – 19 of which in the Premier League, making the Frenchman the first player to reach 10 goals in the competition that season. For this, he was awarded with a Golden Boot Award on 14 November 2008 and was in the running for the end of season Golden Boot accolade. Anelka scored his first competitive hat-trick for Chelsea against Sunderland
, in a 5–0 home win on 1 November 2008, and followed this up with two braces against Blackburn Rovers
, then West Bromwich Albion. He established himself as an important member of the squad and maintained his place in the team despite the return to fitness of Drogba. After the arrival of Guus Hiddink
, Anelka was more often played on the wing. Furthermore, he was ranked among the top goalscorers in the league for the season. He scored another hat-trick against Watford in the FA Cup to earn Chelsea a 3–1 victory at Vicarage Road
. On 10 May, he scored one goal and set up another in a 4–1 away win against former club Arsenal. A goal in Chelsea's final Premier League game of the season at Sunderland put him as top goal scorer for the season in the Premier League, earning him the Golden Boot with 19 goals in total.
Anelka scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against West London rivals
Fulham
in a 2–0 win at Craven Cottage
, before continuing his fine form with the opening goal in Chelsea's 3–0 win over Burnley
the following weekend. He netted his third goal of the season in the opening game of the UEFA Champions League
group stage in the 1–0 victory over FC Porto. Anelka scored one of the best goals of his season against APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League with the ball being passed in to the net from outside the box. Anelka scored his third league goal of the season against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in a 2–0 win with the second goal coming from French team-mate Florent Malouda
. Anelka continued his fine scoring run in the Champions League with the winner in the 1–0 victory over FC Porto at the Estadio Dragao, making Chelsea only the second ever English side to win at Porto's home ground. He continued his scoring in the season by scoring Chelsea's first goal in a 3–3 draw against Everton
in the Premier League, his first goal in the competition since October. He followed that up with another goal in Chelsea's 2–1 victory over Portsmouth
. On 16 January 2010 on his return from injury, Anelka scored twice in an astonishing 7–2 victory over Sunderland
. He continued this fine form into the next match scoring in an FA Cup tie against Preston North End bringing his tally in the previous 4 matches to 5 goals. Talks over his contract have stalled leading to rumours of yet another move to another club. After the return of Drogba from the African Cup of Nations
, Anelka had been playing on the wing to support him. Anelka scored his first goal since January in a 1–0 win over his old team Bolton Wanderers in April 2010 putting Chelsea four points ahead of second place Manchester United. On the final day of the season Anelka scored two goals against Wigan Athletic, including the first Chelsea goal in the sixth minute, to help Chelsea win their third Premier League title and their first in four years. Anelka (along with Ashley Cole
) joined Henning Berg
in the exclusive band of players who have won the Premier League title with two different clubs. On 24 June 2010, Chelsea Football Club announced that Anelka had signed a new one-year extension to his existing contract that will keep him at the club until 2012.
Anelka started the 2010–11 campaign in fine form for Chelsea. He assisted Florent Malouda
's last goal against West Bromwich Albion
on the opening day of the season, scored a double in the next game against Wigan Athletic
, and won a penalty against Stoke City in Chelsea's third game of the season. He continued this fine form in Chelsea's first Champions League game, scoring a first half brace against MSK Zilina
. Further goals against Marseille and Spartak Moscow ensured that this was the first season since playing for that he had scored at least four goals in a UEFA Champions League Season. On 19 October, during Chelsea's Champions League group-stage match against Spartak Moscow
, Anelka continued his impressive goal scoring form in the Champions League, netting the second goal of the match and his 50th goal for Chelsea in the 43rd minute of the game. Anelka scored Chelsea's first goal of the 2011-12 season against West Bromwich Albion.
, and made his senior team debut for France
in a goal-less draw with Sweden
on 22 April 1998. Anelka was not selected for the 1998 World Cup
winning squad but quickly became France's first choice centre forward during the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign, scoring the opening goal in France's 3–2 win over Russia
on his first international start and scoring both goals in a comfortable 2–0 win over England
at Wembley in February 1999. Anelka made his first appearance in a major tournament at Euro 2000; France went on to win the competition. He also formed part of the squad which won the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
. Despite a promising start, Anelka lost his place in the national team from 2001–2007 as he was not playing much first team football at club level, mainly because he was frequently transferred between clubs. When striker Djibril Cissé
was forced out of 2006 World Cup
due to injury, Olympique Lyonnais
' striker Sidney Govou
was called up as Cissé's replacement rather than Anelka, who described the decision as a "real shame... I was completely available and ready to play in this World Cup. I think I could have helped France."
Anelka came on as a substitute in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania
on 24 March 2007, and scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. Following his performance, Anelka was praised by Raymond Domenech: "It is the Nicolas I like to see... when he shows these qualities, he is a candidate for a permanent place."
He also scored in the 2–0 victory against Ukraine
on 2 June 2007.
Anelka featured in the France squad for Euro 2008 in Austria
and Switzerland
. Anelka started France's first group game against Romania
, but was substituted after 72 minutes. He did not start either of France's remaining two games in the tournament against the Netherlands
and Italy
, coming on as a substitute in both games.
Anelka played a key role in France's FIFA World Cup playoff
against the Republic of Ireland
. He scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute that put France in a good position with one away goal.
During the 2010 World Cup
, Anelka was sent home after reportedly abusing coach Raymond Domenech
at half-time during the 2–0 defeat to Mexico
. Following criticism of his positioning by Domenech, Anelka is reported to have said, “Va te faire enculer, sale fils de pute” meaning "Go and get yourself fucked, dirty son of a whore." The incident was later reported by the media, and the player refused to publicly apologise when asked to by French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
. The next day, the squad refused to get to training in protest against Anelka's expulsion. Anelka was subsequently hit by an 18-game suspension from international football by the FFF as punishment for his actions, effectively ending his international career. Anelka later claimed to be "dying with laughter" at the 18-match ban, as he had already decided to retire from international play.
, a Belgian choreographer. Together, they have two sons, Kais born in 2008 and Kahil born in 2010. He acted in the 2002 film Le Boulet
as a footballer named Nicolas. He has stated that, when he retires from football, he would like to work in the film industry because he has a friend in the business. He said: "I have a friend who's a producer, who makes lots of films. He recently did Asterix. So it's already agreed that I'm going to do other films. It helps to know actors and producers. It's different to football and it's something I enjoy very much because there's no ball. I like pretending to be somebody else, it's fun."
After discussing religion with some childhood friends, Anelka converted to Islam
in 2004 in the United Arab Emirates, taking the Muslim name of Abdul-Salam Bilal. Initially, Anelka considered leaving European football to play in the UAE: "I am ready to stay here and to play for a club in the Emirates. I am not keen to go back to England or France." However, this did not come to pass and he briefly moved to Turkey instead.
Anelka has two brothers, Claude
and Didier.
|1995–96
||rowspan="2"|Paris Saint-Germain||rowspan="2"|Division 1
||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|1996–97
||8||1||0||0||1||0||1||0||10||1
|-
|1996–97
||rowspan="3"|Arsenal
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|1997–98
||26||6||9||3||3||0||2||0||40||9
|-
|1998–99
||35||17||5||0||0||0||5||1||45||18
|-
|1999-00
||Real Madrid
||La Liga
||19||2||0||0||colspan="2"|––||9||2||28||4
|-
|2000–01
||rowspan="2"|Paris Saint-Germain||rowspan="2"|Division 1
||27||8||0||0||1||0||9||5||37||13
|-
|2001–02
||12||2||0||0||0||0||7||3||19||5
|-
|2001–02
||Liverpool
||Premier League||20||4||2||1||0||0||0||0||22||5
|-
|2002–03
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||38||14||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||14
|-
|2003–04
||32||16||4||4||2||0||5||4||43||24
|-
|2004–05
||19||7||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||7
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Fenerbahçe||rowspan="3"|Süper Lig||14||4||2||0||colspan="2"|––||2||0||18||4
|-
|2005–06||25||10||6||2||colspan="2"|––||6||0||37||12
|-
|2006–07
||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|––||2||0||2||0
|-
|2006–07
||rowspan="2"|Bolton Wanderers
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||35||11||3||0||1||1||0||0||39||12
|-
|2007–08||18||10||0||0||0||0||4||1||22||11
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Chelsea
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||14||1||3||1||2||0||5||0||24||2
|-
|2008–09|||37||19||5||4||0||0||12||2||54||25
|-
|2009–10|||33||11||4||1||0||0||7||3||44||15
|-
|2010–11
|||32||6||3||1||1||2||9||7||45||16
|-
|2011–12
|||9||1||0||0||1||0||4||0||14||1
49||11||0||0||2||0||17||8||68||19
352||123||39||15||12||3||53||18||456||159
19||2||0||0||colspan="2"|––||9||2||28||4
39||14||8||2||colspan="2"|––||10||0||57||16
459||150||47||17||14||3||89||28||609||198
|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||7||2
|-
|2000||10||2
|-
|2001||7||1
|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||0||0
|-
|2004||0||0
|-
|2005||2||1
|-
|2006||3||1
|-
|2007||10||3
|-
|2008||11||1
|-
|2009||9||2
|-
|2010||6||0
|-
!Total||69||14
|}
Real Madrid
PSG
Fenerbahçe
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
has described him as a quick player with good aerial ability, technique, shooting, and movement off the ball.
Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain, but soon moved to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He became a first team regular and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
the following season. Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
signed him for £22.3 million in 1999, a record fee at the time, but he did not settle in well and returned to Paris Saint-Germain in a £20 million deal. Despite regular first team football in Paris, Anelka set his eyes upon the Premier League once more; he went on loan to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in January 2002 but joined Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03 season.
After three seasons in Manchester, he moved to Fenerbahçe for two seasons before returning to England to join Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
– in deals worth £7 million and £8 million, respectively. He transferred to Chelsea from Bolton for a reported £15 million in January 2008. During his transfers over the years, he has built an aggregate transfer cost of just under £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
90 million. He is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs.
Anelka has played many times at international level and won his first international honours with France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at Euro 2000, and won the Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
the following year. His failure to settle at club level limited his international appearances, but he returned to the national team for the Euro 2008 competition.
On 19 June 2010, Anelka was excluded by the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
from the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa for "comments directed against the national coach, Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
, unacceptable to the FFF, French football, and the principles they uphold." Two months later, having failing to turn up to his disciplinary hearing, he was banned for France's next eighteen games by the FFF, effectively ending his international career, despite an outcry from the football world who found it unfair and a strike from French players.
Paris Saint-Germain
Anelka started his career at Paris Saint-Germain as a youth player at age 16 and was said to have great potential for scoring goals.Arsenal
In February 1997, at the age of 17, Anelka joined Premier League club ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
for a fee of £500,000 under newly appointed manager Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
. Anelka scored his first goal for Arsenal against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a 3–2 home win. His first team opportunities were limited in the 1996–97 season, but in the 1997–98 season, he broke into the first team, after a long-term injury to striker Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
. Anelka was a key player in Arsenal's "Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
" win, of both the Premier League championship and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
trophy that season. Anelka scored the second goal in Arsenal's 2–0 win over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in that season's FA Cup final.
A player with exceptional pace, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
in the 1998–99 season, but Arsenal failed to defend their Premier League title and made little progress in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, while Anelka wanted a better salary. Fans turned on the striker amid transfer speculation and a perceived lack of enthusiasm, giving him the nickname "Le Sulk." In all he made 72 first team appearances and 17 appearances as a sub for Arsenal, scoring 27 goals.
Real Madrid
Anelka transferred to Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the summer of 1999 for £22.3 million. Anelka began brightly, arriving as a record signing to the Madrid side. He had initial success, but soon fell out of favour with fans, fellow players, and new coach Vicente del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
, at one point receiving a 45-day suspension for refusing to train. Despite eventually returning to favour and figuring in the successful capture of the 1999-00 Champions League campaign (he scored vital goals in both legs of the semi-finals against Bayern Munich and started in the final), he was surplus to the requirements to the club.
Return to Paris-Saint Germain
Anelka signed a professional contract at Paris Saint-Germain, a return to the club at which he used to play as a youth player, in a transfer deal worth £20 million. Once again Anelka developed issues with the team coach, Luis Fernandez (who was already under pressure for benching Ronaldinho due to his work ethic) and became unsettled despite good form on the pitch.Loan to Liverpool
After 30 months, Anelka returned to the Premier League in December 2001 with LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on a short term loan deal until the end of the season. He contributed to Liverpool's late push to come second in the league, scoring goals against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
,
Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, and in the FA Cup against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, but manager Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
decided not to offer him a permanent deal after the end of the season in favour of signing his future Bolton teammate, El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.-Early career:Diouf started his career in France with...
.
Manchester City
Anelka opted to join Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 24 May 2002, and the £13 million fee paid by manager Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
was then a club record. In his first season at City he would end up top scorer at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
with 14 goals including a goal in the last ever Manchester Derby
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
at Maine Road, against former club Arsenal and a last minute winner at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
after scoring a penalty just moments earlier. In his second season at City he finished top scorer again in the clubs first season at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
with 25 goals. Anelka started the 2004/05 campaign in clinical form again scoring the winner in Jose Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
's first ever defeat as Chelsea manager. In January 2005 Anelka decided to move on to Fenerbahçe.
Fenerbahçe
In January 2005, Manchester City announced that Anelka had completed a £7 million transfer to Turkish team Fenerbahçe. Anelka helped the Turkish club win the league title in 2005, and played with them in the UEFA Champions League.Bolton Wanderers
On 25 August 2006, Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
signed Anelka on a four-year deal for a club record of £8 million. Anelka made his debut for Bolton against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 9 September 2006. He finished the 2006–07 season as Bolton's top scorer with 11 goals.
During January 2007, Anelka stated that he would be willing to leave Bolton for a return to former club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. However, Anelka pledged his future to Bolton in July 2007, following talks with manager Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee (footballer)
Samuel "Sammy" Lee is an English football coach and former player. He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder, and also represented England fourteen times....
. Anelka later said he would reluctantly consider leaving the club if Bolton's poor start to the 2007–08 season continued, but later signed a new four-year contract until 2011 on 30 August.
Chelsea
On 11 January 2008, it was confirmed that Anelka would join ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for £15 million. Anelka made his début against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
on 12 January 2008, and scored his first goal two weeks later in the FA Cup
FA Cup 2007-08
The 2007–08 FA Cup was the 127th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 731 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition....
against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. He scored his first league goal on 2 February against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, but failed to score again for Chelsea during the 2007–08 season.
2008 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 20:45 CEST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
, Anelka's seventh and decisive penalty was saved by Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
, ultimately resulting in Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
winning the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Anelka later blamed manager Avram Grant for his penalty miss, claiming he was not given enough time on the pitch, neither was he given enough time to properly warm up before coming on as a late substitute. On 3 August 2008, Anelka scored four goals in a 5–0 friendly win against AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
.
With Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
injured at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, Anelka made a very impressive start to the campaign. He scored 25 times – 19 of which in the Premier League, making the Frenchman the first player to reach 10 goals in the competition that season. For this, he was awarded with a Golden Boot Award on 14 November 2008 and was in the running for the end of season Golden Boot accolade. Anelka scored his first competitive hat-trick for Chelsea against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, in a 5–0 home win on 1 November 2008, and followed this up with two braces against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, then West Bromwich Albion. He established himself as an important member of the squad and maintained his place in the team despite the return to fitness of Drogba. After the arrival of Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
, Anelka was more often played on the wing. Furthermore, he was ranked among the top goalscorers in the league for the season. He scored another hat-trick against Watford in the FA Cup to earn Chelsea a 3–1 victory at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
. On 10 May, he scored one goal and set up another in a 4–1 away win against former club Arsenal. A goal in Chelsea's final Premier League game of the season at Sunderland put him as top goal scorer for the season in the Premier League, earning him the Golden Boot with 19 goals in total.
West London derby
The West London Derby is the name given to a football derby played between any two of Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.The West London derby is less prominent than other such derbies in English football, owing to the teams often being in separate divisions. Chelsea did not face...
Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in a 2–0 win at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
, before continuing his fine form with the opening goal in Chelsea's 3–0 win over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
the following weekend. He netted his third goal of the season in the opening game of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage in the 1–0 victory over FC Porto. Anelka scored one of the best goals of his season against APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League with the ball being passed in to the net from outside the box. Anelka scored his third league goal of the season against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in a 2–0 win with the second goal coming from French team-mate Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
. Anelka continued his fine scoring run in the Champions League with the winner in the 1–0 victory over FC Porto at the Estadio Dragao, making Chelsea only the second ever English side to win at Porto's home ground. He continued his scoring in the season by scoring Chelsea's first goal in a 3–3 draw against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the Premier League, his first goal in the competition since October. He followed that up with another goal in Chelsea's 2–1 victory over Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. On 16 January 2010 on his return from injury, Anelka scored twice in an astonishing 7–2 victory over Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. He continued this fine form into the next match scoring in an FA Cup tie against Preston North End bringing his tally in the previous 4 matches to 5 goals. Talks over his contract have stalled leading to rumours of yet another move to another club. After the return of Drogba from the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
, Anelka had been playing on the wing to support him. Anelka scored his first goal since January in a 1–0 win over his old team Bolton Wanderers in April 2010 putting Chelsea four points ahead of second place Manchester United. On the final day of the season Anelka scored two goals against Wigan Athletic, including the first Chelsea goal in the sixth minute, to help Chelsea win their third Premier League title and their first in four years. Anelka (along with Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
) joined Henning Berg
Henning Berg
Henning Stille Berg is a Norwegian former football player. He played as a central defender or right-back.He is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs, the others being Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka .-Club career:Born in Eidsvoll, Berg played for...
in the exclusive band of players who have won the Premier League title with two different clubs. On 24 June 2010, Chelsea Football Club announced that Anelka had signed a new one-year extension to his existing contract that will keep him at the club until 2012.
Anelka started the 2010–11 campaign in fine form for Chelsea. He assisted Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
's last goal against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on the opening day of the season, scored a double in the next game against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
, and won a penalty against Stoke City in Chelsea's third game of the season. He continued this fine form in Chelsea's first Champions League game, scoring a first half brace against MSK Zilina
MŠK Žilina
MŠK Žilina is a Slovak football club, based in the town of Žilina. They play in the Slovak Superliga and are one of the most successful clubs in this competition, having won five championships since the league's inception in 1993. The club and their supporters alike are nicknamed Šošoni...
. Further goals against Marseille and Spartak Moscow ensured that this was the first season since playing for that he had scored at least four goals in a UEFA Champions League Season. On 19 October, during Chelsea's Champions League group-stage match against Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
, Anelka continued his impressive goal scoring form in the Champions League, netting the second goal of the match and his 50th goal for Chelsea in the 43rd minute of the game. Anelka scored Chelsea's first goal of the 2011-12 season against West Bromwich Albion.
International career
At youth level, Anelka played for the French under-20 team at the 1997 World Youth Championship1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...
, and made his senior team debut for France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in a goal-less draw with Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
on 22 April 1998. Anelka was not selected for the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
winning squad but quickly became France's first choice centre forward during the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign, scoring the opening goal in France's 3–2 win over Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
on his first international start and scoring both goals in a comfortable 2–0 win over England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley in February 1999. Anelka made his first appearance in a major tournament at Euro 2000; France went on to win the competition. He also formed part of the squad which won the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
. Despite a promising start, Anelka lost his place in the national team from 2001–2007 as he was not playing much first team football at club level, mainly because he was frequently transferred between clubs. When striker Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
was forced out of 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
due to injury, Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
' striker Sidney Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...
was called up as Cissé's replacement rather than Anelka, who described the decision as a "real shame... I was completely available and ready to play in this World Cup. I think I could have helped France."
Anelka came on as a substitute in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania
Lithuania national football team
The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on...
on 24 March 2007, and scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. Following his performance, Anelka was praised by Raymond Domenech: "It is the Nicolas I like to see... when he shows these qualities, he is a candidate for a permanent place."
He also scored in the 2–0 victory against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
on 2 June 2007.
Anelka featured in the France squad for Euro 2008 in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Anelka started France's first group game against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, but was substituted after 72 minutes. He did not start either of France's remaining two games in the tournament against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, coming on as a substitute in both games.
Anelka played a key role in France's FIFA World Cup playoff
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Second Round
The UEFA second round was contested by the best eight runners-up from the nine first round groups from the UEFA segment of the qualification tournament for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in football. The winners of each of four home and away ties joined the group winners in the World Cup in South Africa...
against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
. He scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute that put France in a good position with one away goal.
During the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Anelka was sent home after reportedly abusing coach Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
at half-time during the 2–0 defeat to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. Following criticism of his positioning by Domenech, Anelka is reported to have said, “Va te faire enculer, sale fils de pute” meaning "Go and get yourself fucked, dirty son of a whore." The incident was later reported by the media, and the player refused to publicly apologise when asked to by French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes is the former president of the French Football Federation having served in the role from 12 February 2005 to 2 July 2010. He was awarded the presidency after winning the ball with 92.56% of the vote...
. The next day, the squad refused to get to training in protest against Anelka's expulsion. Anelka was subsequently hit by an 18-game suspension from international football by the FFF as punishment for his actions, effectively ending his international career. Anelka later claimed to be "dying with laughter" at the 18-match ban, as he had already decided to retire from international play.
Personal life
Anelka is married to Barbara TausiaBarbara Tausia
Barbara Anelka Tausia is a Belgian choreographer and dancer. She is the wife of French footballer Nicolas Anelka and has followed her husband around Europe as he has changed teams.-Career:...
, a Belgian choreographer. Together, they have two sons, Kais born in 2008 and Kahil born in 2010. He acted in the 2002 film Le Boulet
Le Boulet
Le Boulet is a French film directed by Alain Berbérian and Frédéric Forestier, released in 2002. It is known internationally as Dead Weight.-Plot:...
as a footballer named Nicolas. He has stated that, when he retires from football, he would like to work in the film industry because he has a friend in the business. He said: "I have a friend who's a producer, who makes lots of films. He recently did Asterix. So it's already agreed that I'm going to do other films. It helps to know actors and producers. It's different to football and it's something I enjoy very much because there's no ball. I like pretending to be somebody else, it's fun."
After discussing religion with some childhood friends, Anelka converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in 2004 in the United Arab Emirates, taking the Muslim name of Abdul-Salam Bilal. Initially, Anelka considered leaving European football to play in the UAE: "I am ready to stay here and to play for a club in the Emirates. I am not keen to go back to England or France." However, this did not come to pass and he briefly moved to Turkey instead.
Anelka has two brothers, Claude
Claude Anelka
Claude Anelka is a former French football manager, who was most recently the head coach of AC St. Louis. He is the older brother of professional footballer Nicolas Anelka, who currently plays in the Premier League with Chelsea....
and Didier.
Club performance
|-|1995–96
Division 1 season 1995-96
AJ Auxerre won Division 1 season 1995/1996 of the French Association Football League with 72 points.-Participating teams:- Final table :Promoted from Ligue 2 , who will play in Division 1 season 1996/1997** SM Caen : champion of Ligue 2...
||rowspan="2"|Paris Saint-Germain||rowspan="2"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|1996–97
Division 1 season 1996-97
AS Monaco won Division 1 season 1996–1997 of the French Association Football League with 79 points. Four teams were relegated to Second division and only two were promoted because in 1997–1998, only 18 would participate the championship.-Participating teams:...
||8||1||0||0||1||0||1||0||10||1
|-
|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||rowspan="3"|Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||26||6||9||3||3||0||2||0||40||9
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||35||17||5||0||0||0||5||1||45||18
|-
|1999-00
La Liga 1999-00
1998-99 season was composed of the following clubs:* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alavés* Deportivo de La Coruña* RCD Espanyol* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CD Numancia* Racing de Santander* Rayo Vallecano...
||Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
||La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||19||2||0||0||colspan="2"|––||9||2||28||4
|-
|2000–01
Division 1 season 2000-01
FC Nantes won Division 1 season 2000/2001 of the French Association Football League with 68 points.-Participating teams:-Final table:Promoted from Ligue 2 , who will play in Division 1 season 2001/2002** FC Sochaux-Montbéliard : champion of Ligue 2...
||rowspan="2"|Paris Saint-Germain||rowspan="2"|Division 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||27||8||0||0||1||0||9||5||37||13
|-
|2001–02
Division 1 season 2001-02
Olympique Lyonnais won Division 1 season 2001/2002 of the French Association Football League with 66 points. The title was decided in the very final game of the season when Lyon received erstwhile championship leaders Lens at Stade Gerland...
||12||2||0||0||0||0||7||3||19||5
|-
|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
||Premier League||20||4||2||1||0||0||0||0||22||5
|-
|2002–03
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
||rowspan="3"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||38||14||1||0||2||0||0||0||41||14
|-
|2003–04
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
||32||16||4||4||2||0||5||4||43||24
|-
|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||19||7||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||7
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="3"|Fenerbahçe||rowspan="3"|Süper Lig||14||4||2||0||colspan="2"|––||2||0||18||4
|-
|2005–06||25||10||6||2||colspan="2"|––||6||0||37||12
|-
|2006–07
Turkcell Super League 2006-07
The 2006-07 Süper Lig was the 49th edition of the top-flight professional football league in Turkey. The season kicked-off on 4 August 2006 in a match between Ankaraspor and Galatasaray, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Fenerbahçe became champions after drawing Trabzonspor 2-2, while Beşiktaş lost 3-0 to...
||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|––||2||0||2||0
|-
|2006–07
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
||rowspan="2"|Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||35||11||3||0||1||1||0||0||39||12
|-
|2007–08||18||10||0||0||0||0||4||1||22||11
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="5"|Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League||14||1||3||1||2||0||5||0||24||2
|-
|2008–09|||37||19||5||4||0||0||12||2||54||25
|-
|2009–10|||33||11||4||1||0||0||7||3||44||15
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
|||32||6||3||1||1||2||9||7||45||16
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
|||9||1||0||0||1||0||4||0||14||1
49||11||0||0||2||0||17||8||68||19
352||123||39||15||12||3||53||18||456||159
19||2||0||0||colspan="2"|––||9||2||28||4
39||14||8||2||colspan="2"|––||10||0||57||16
459||150||47||17||14||3||89||28||609||198
International statistics
|-|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||7||2
|-
|2000||10||2
|-
|2001||7||1
|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||0||0
|-
|2004||0||0
|-
|2005||2||1
|-
|2006||3||1
|-
|2007||10||3
|-
|2008||11||1
|-
|2009||9||2
|-
|2010||6||0
|-
!Total||69||14
|}
International goals
Scores and results list France's goal tally first:| Anelka – goals for France | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 10 October 1998 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia |
 Russia RussiaRussia national football team The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is... |
1–0 | 3–2 | Euro 2000 qualification 2000 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2000 final tournament, took place throughout 1998 and 1999. Forty-nine teams were divided into nine groups. All teams played against each other, within their groups, in a home-and-away basis. The winner of each group and the best runner-up qualified automatically for... |
| 2 | 10 February 1999 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England |
 England EnglandEngland national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly match |
| 3 | 10 February 1999 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England |
England England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly match |
| 4 | 6 June 2000 | Casablanca Casablanca Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... , Morocco |
 Morocco MoroccoMorocco national football team The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and... |
4–1 | 5–1 | Friendly match |
| – | 16 August 2000 | Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... , France |
FIFA FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth... XI |
5–0 | 5–1 | Unofficial friendly |
| 5 | 30 May 2001 | Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , Korea |
 South Korea South Korea |
3–0 | 5–0 | 2001 Confederations Cup |
| 6 | 9 November 2005 | Fort-de-France Fort-de-France Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:... , France |
 Costa Rica Costa RicaCosta Rica national football team The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States... |
1–2 | 3–2 | Friendly match |
| 7 | 11 October 2006 | Sochaux Sochaux Sochaux is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:Inhabitants are known as Sochaliens.-Economy:... , France |
 Faroe Islands Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands national football team The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third... |
3–0 | 5–0 | Euro 2008 qualification 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted... |
| 8 | 24 March 2007 | Kaunas Kaunas Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation... , Lithuania |
 Lithuania LithuaniaLithuania national football team The national football team of Lithuania is under the auspices of the Lithuanian Football Federation. It played its first match in 1923. In 1940, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union; the country regained its independence in 1990 and played their first match as a new nation against Georgia on... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 2008 qualification 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted... |
| 9 | 2 June 2007 | Saint-Denis Saint-Denis Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis.... , France |
 Ukraine UkraineUkraine national football team The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992... |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 qualification 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted... |
| 10 | 13 October 2007 | Torshavn Tórshavn Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn... , Faroe Islands Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland... |
Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Faroe Islands national football team The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third... |
1–0 | 6–0 | Euro 2008 qualification 2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying This page describes the qualifying procedure for the UEFA Euro 2008.- Seedings :Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in both UEFA Euro 2004 and FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying stages. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, counted... |
| 11 | 1 September 2008 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis |
Serbia Serbia national football team The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović... |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
| 12 | 10 October 2009 | Stade de France Stade de France The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for... , Saint-Denis |
Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Faroe Islands national football team The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third... |
3–0 | 5–0 | 2010 World Cup Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
| 13 | 14 November 2009 | Croke Park Croke Park Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation... , Dublin |
 Republic of Ireland IrelandIreland national football team -Association football :* Ireland national football team , the Irish Football Association's original all-island team; first played in 1882... |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 World Cup Qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Club
Arsenal- FA Premier LeagueFA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
: 1998 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1998 - FA Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 19981998 FA Charity ShieldThe 1998 FA Charity Shield was the 76th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played contested by Arsenal, who won the league and cup Double the previous season, and Manchester United,...
Real Madrid
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2000
PSG
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2001
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2005
Chelsea
- FA Premier LeagueFA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
: 2010 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(2): 20092009 FA Cup FinalThe 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
, 20102009–10 FA CupThe 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released... - FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 20092009 FA Community ShieldThe 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
Country
France- UEFA U-18 European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
: 1997UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955... - UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 2000 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
: 20012001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
Individual
- Premier League Player of the MonthPremier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
(2): February 1999Premier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
, November 2008Premier League Player of the MonthThe Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month... - PFA Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
(2): 1999, 2009 - Barclays Golden Boot: 2008–09
- PFA Young Player of the YearPFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
: 1999PFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football... - FA Cup Top Scorer: 2009
- Scored a total of more than 100 goals in the Premier League
External links
- Premier League profile
- BBC Sport profile
- ANELKA Nicolas Fédération Française de Football (FFF)
- Profile SoccerSurfer.com
- Nicolas Anelka Free Sporting
- Nicolas Anelka FootballDatabase.eu – Comprehensive match-by-match history